Seems to be at least two additional reasons Trump uses executive orders and skips investigations.
One is to take advantage of the speed differential between them and the courts. They issue EOs, immediately mete out punishments, rescind funding, remove human beings or security clearances, etc. and the targets have to file suits and follow the court timeline. In the mean time, entire divisions and agencies are obliterated, employees are scattered, work is shut down and reconstitution becomes nearly impossible. Schools, researchers and students lose funding, visas, etc. and their lives are damaged if not ruined. Courts may not be able to remedy much of the damage.
The other is that they seize the news cycle with the compliant doormat media dutifully posting headlines and front page articles parroting Trump's unsubstantiated accusations and that's what everyone talks about. It seems clear that the administration does not expect to win many of the court cases, they just want to control the headlines and throw red meat to their base. I always wonder what they are trying to hide when these announcements come out.
As a former college-level English instructor, I got a chuckle out of the discussion of exclamation points on It’s Complicated. One of the first items on my first day Don’t list was Use exclamation points.
I teach IT classes at my community college and made a syllabus-level prohibition of students using Comic Sans MS in any written work that submit to me.
It’s the exact suspicion I have had. What specific PROOF does Trump or his staff had about any of the claims he has made about Harvard or in other context. There have been no investigations
Asha, a general thank you to you and Renato for not using apple earbuds in your videos/podcasts/other interviews. So many people do and they give off horrible feedback when people are trying to listen. It's made it hard to listen when people use Apple earbuds.
Sadly, there's antisemitism everywhere. The orange genocidal regime is making it 100% worse. This makes this Islamaphobia worse as well, etc. I'm constantly reminding myself to separate the leaders of the countries from most of the citizens. Not just the US. Israel. Palestine. India. Etc.
If you haven't already seen it, I'd urge people to check out Governor Pritzker's commencement speech from 2023. Start it at an hour and a half in. https://www.youtube.com/live/y4r2unSTYI8?t=5767s
Most people don't realize they are being antisemitic or don't care which is unfortunate.
The U.S. Department of State has a very simple and easy to understand definition of what antisemitism is, "Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel."
and that does seem to be happening everywhere.
Gov. Pritzker's State of the State address, May 2025, is also very inspiring.
Fact finding and investigations are not the point when it comes to this administration. The actions taken against individuals, as well as law firms and universities, spring forth out of the delusional and aggrieved perceptions of one individual. While easily confused, Trump will never admit to being convinced by the facts if they don't comport with his biased and ignorant perceptions of reality.
The clear differences between Trump 1 and Trump 2 is that Trump 2 is no longer constrained by competent advisers or administrative heads to reign in and blunt his egregious impulses to dictate. It seems the only segments of society willing to initially call out this contemptuous behavior were jurist, independent social media investigators and the public, through peaceful demonstrations. It is encouraging to see more private law firms, public news organizations and universities finally willing to make the commitment to stand up to the extortion attempts used by government to unlawfully usurp unconstitutional power and authority.
I tell this to a lawyer like yourself at my peril, being a not-a-lawyer, but I hadn't previously thought of habeas corpus as applying for institutions and not just individuals. Good stuff to read here as I have soft spot for habeas.
I would add to your conjectures about Trump's and his enablers' Mack-trucking over established law and regular order. It seems to me that his appeal to his base is that he won't stand for adhering to regular order, because that's inherent compromise, and compromise is a perjorative in rightwing politics going back to Newt Gingrich and the 1994 midterms.
Habeas only applies to individuals, as it is a right to assert against arbitrary detention. However, the underlying due process — receiving notice of an accusation and an opportunity to be heard (and present your side) — certainly applies to instititutions.
Trump is well known to have no scruples and no boundaries. SCOTUS has declared him unstoppable and unaccountable, so of course a man with no maturity, no boundaries, no impulse control, basically an unrestrained toddler, is doing anything and everything to get attention and treats.
What a concept: investigation! As you so beautifully explained, there is a process for doing what he’s trying to do by executive order, but he can’t be bothered. He doesn’t care at all about facts. Thank you very much for this excellent essay that shows what he is doing is unnecessary and false.
they're "tell" is an obfuscation, deflection from they're true intention which I conclude is a "GRIFT" and it will go on till Trump is out of Office in 4 years an by then i project he'll have a worth ten times that of today.... A (layman's guess) approximately $50 billion...wAc CrowBwell9.bsky.social
All oversight is being dismantled or has been. They've(maga) have seemed reticent to make an all out effort to attack the courts( so far), sports industry's, energy company's etc. Obviously they are trying to quash any form of free thought.
Excellent post. I have to admit for a second I thought this was going to be a rant against the Title IX claim against Yale. Defending the right of frat bros to chant sexually obscene phrases at a take back the night rally is exactly the kind of cause some free speech groups insist on championing.
Seems to be at least two additional reasons Trump uses executive orders and skips investigations.
One is to take advantage of the speed differential between them and the courts. They issue EOs, immediately mete out punishments, rescind funding, remove human beings or security clearances, etc. and the targets have to file suits and follow the court timeline. In the mean time, entire divisions and agencies are obliterated, employees are scattered, work is shut down and reconstitution becomes nearly impossible. Schools, researchers and students lose funding, visas, etc. and their lives are damaged if not ruined. Courts may not be able to remedy much of the damage.
The other is that they seize the news cycle with the compliant doormat media dutifully posting headlines and front page articles parroting Trump's unsubstantiated accusations and that's what everyone talks about. It seems clear that the administration does not expect to win many of the court cases, they just want to control the headlines and throw red meat to their base. I always wonder what they are trying to hide when these announcements come out.
As a former college-level English instructor, I got a chuckle out of the discussion of exclamation points on It’s Complicated. One of the first items on my first day Don’t list was Use exclamation points.
I teach IT classes at my community college and made a syllabus-level prohibition of students using Comic Sans MS in any written work that submit to me.
It’s the exact suspicion I have had. What specific PROOF does Trump or his staff had about any of the claims he has made about Harvard or in other context. There have been no investigations
Thanks for the reminder to go for a walk, Asha. The head definitely needs clearing.
Asha, a general thank you to you and Renato for not using apple earbuds in your videos/podcasts/other interviews. So many people do and they give off horrible feedback when people are trying to listen. It's made it hard to listen when people use Apple earbuds.
Nailed it. Trump IS the Queen of Hearts in male drag.
Sadly, there's antisemitism everywhere. The orange genocidal regime is making it 100% worse. This makes this Islamaphobia worse as well, etc. I'm constantly reminding myself to separate the leaders of the countries from most of the citizens. Not just the US. Israel. Palestine. India. Etc.
If you haven't already seen it, I'd urge people to check out Governor Pritzker's commencement speech from 2023. Start it at an hour and a half in. https://www.youtube.com/live/y4r2unSTYI8?t=5767s
Most people don't realize they are being antisemitic or don't care which is unfortunate.
The U.S. Department of State has a very simple and easy to understand definition of what antisemitism is, "Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel."
and that does seem to be happening everywhere.
Gov. Pritzker's State of the State address, May 2025, is also very inspiring.
Fact finding and investigations are not the point when it comes to this administration. The actions taken against individuals, as well as law firms and universities, spring forth out of the delusional and aggrieved perceptions of one individual. While easily confused, Trump will never admit to being convinced by the facts if they don't comport with his biased and ignorant perceptions of reality.
The clear differences between Trump 1 and Trump 2 is that Trump 2 is no longer constrained by competent advisers or administrative heads to reign in and blunt his egregious impulses to dictate. It seems the only segments of society willing to initially call out this contemptuous behavior were jurist, independent social media investigators and the public, through peaceful demonstrations. It is encouraging to see more private law firms, public news organizations and universities finally willing to make the commitment to stand up to the extortion attempts used by government to unlawfully usurp unconstitutional power and authority.
I tell this to a lawyer like yourself at my peril, being a not-a-lawyer, but I hadn't previously thought of habeas corpus as applying for institutions and not just individuals. Good stuff to read here as I have soft spot for habeas.
I would add to your conjectures about Trump's and his enablers' Mack-trucking over established law and regular order. It seems to me that his appeal to his base is that he won't stand for adhering to regular order, because that's inherent compromise, and compromise is a perjorative in rightwing politics going back to Newt Gingrich and the 1994 midterms.
Habeas only applies to individuals, as it is a right to assert against arbitrary detention. However, the underlying due process — receiving notice of an accusation and an opportunity to be heard (and present your side) — certainly applies to instititutions.
Take back the moon…
Trump is well known to have no scruples and no boundaries. SCOTUS has declared him unstoppable and unaccountable, so of course a man with no maturity, no boundaries, no impulse control, basically an unrestrained toddler, is doing anything and everything to get attention and treats.
What a concept: investigation! As you so beautifully explained, there is a process for doing what he’s trying to do by executive order, but he can’t be bothered. He doesn’t care at all about facts. Thank you very much for this excellent essay that shows what he is doing is unnecessary and false.
..<><>.. Ms.Asha ...Trump&Family Co.
they're "tell" is an obfuscation, deflection from they're true intention which I conclude is a "GRIFT" and it will go on till Trump is out of Office in 4 years an by then i project he'll have a worth ten times that of today.... A (layman's guess) approximately $50 billion...wAc CrowBwell9.bsky.social
AshaRangappa.bsky.social
This site is truly for parrhesiastes. How long before we parrhesiastes will be forced to choose between exile or drinking of hemlock?
All oversight is being dismantled or has been. They've(maga) have seemed reticent to make an all out effort to attack the courts( so far), sports industry's, energy company's etc. Obviously they are trying to quash any form of free thought.
Excellent post. I have to admit for a second I thought this was going to be a rant against the Title IX claim against Yale. Defending the right of frat bros to chant sexually obscene phrases at a take back the night rally is exactly the kind of cause some free speech groups insist on championing.